So, This Is How These Things Go
by LittleNapoleon
Summary: She could still feel the vague coldness of the gun's barrel against her head, watching as the neck of the bottle was tipped back against his lips. Flash Sideways universe. Lost Ficcing Challenge 2011. Charlie and Alex.


**Title: **So, This Is How These Things Go.

**Characters: **Alex and Charlie, mainly. Vague mentions of Karl and Ben.

**Pairings: **Chalex ( Charlie/Alex)

**Summery: **She could still feel the vague coldness of the gun's barrel against her head, watching as the neck of the bottle was tipped back against his lips. Flash Sideways universe. Lost Ficcing Challenge 2011.

**Notes: **Wrote this up for LostinLost18's Ficcing Challenge with the characters Charlie Pace and Alex Rousseau. Even if I'm a fan of Charlie and Alex, this is my first go at writing them, so, I hope you enjoy. :) Rated for some very drunk Charlie, but nothing too graphic.

**So, This Is How These Things Go.**

She didn't know how she ended up so far into the city, but she had thought a walk would be the best. Her mind was buzzing with questions and broken memories.

Or hallucinations, seeing as she didn't remember anything that he head was showing her ever happening. No, she didn't remember a boy that was her best friend, and that she loved him so much that she would die for him. Or about a man that she called her Dad.

A man that had a uncanny resemblance to her history teacher. And then she would see another man, his hand gripping firmly onto a gun that was pressed against her skull. He would be speaking into some sort of walkie-talkie, but she could never hear what he was saying, but her Dad's/History Teacher's words would be loud and clear. Then the gun shot.

All it took was a slight bump into Mr. Linus for these...memories to start up. Suddenly, her history studies weren't as bright and exciting as they were before. She had even started to skip History Club, which Mr. Linus found odd, but he hadn't brought it up after the first few times she had skipped.

Alex Rousseau shook her head, closing her green eyes for a few seconds. What the hell was going on with her? Was she going crazy?

Her eyes opened again at the sound of a door being slammed. She looked down the street where a man stumbled out onto the sidewalk, a bottle of alcohol in his hand. She watched as a man, who she presumed was the bartender, close the bar door. The neon ' Open' sign flicking off. The drunk man yelled a few incoherent things at the bartender through the bar's closed door. Alex could pick up on his accent, guessing that he had originated from Britain. She watched as he stumbled down the sidewalk before he slid down the outside wall of a closed shop. He kinda sat there, not moving for a while.

Alex paused for a few seconds before she walked over towards him, a part of her wondering if he need some assistance. She approached him carefully, remembering how her mother had explained to her about staying away from people like this. She took in his rough appearance, his mouth pulled into a frown, she could see a bit of a stubble growing on his chin and up his cheek bones. His glazed over blue eyes met her green ones, narrowing with anger and unexplained hate.

" What the hell do you want?" He slurred drunkenly. Alex looked down at him, she felt kinda bad for him. Something pretty terrible must have happened to him if he's like this.

" Are you okay?" She asked, not really knowing what to say.

" No." The Britain muttered, lifting the bottle up. Alex stared at him, she could still feel the vague coldness of the gun's barrel against her head, watching as the neck of the bottle was tipped back against his lips.

" _She's nothing but a pawn to me, so if you're going to kill her, do it-"_

" What?" The man asked, noticing her staring, " you want some?"

" No." Alex said, sighing slightly, " I just came over here to see if you needed some assistance, you're looking pretty wreaked."

" I don't need your pity, sod off." The man said, trying to get to his feet. Alex ended up having to wrap his arm around her shoulders, trying not to gag at the smell of alcohol in the man's breath.

" Here, why don't I help you get home." Alex said, helping him down the sidewalk.

" Motel." The man said, " I live in a Motel."

" Okay, do you remember where it is?" Alex asked, looking up at him. He gave her a hard look, his legs giving out for a few seconds.

" Yeah, I'm not stupid. Do you think I'm stupid?" He asked, his voice raising, " do you know who I am?"

" No." Alex sighed, " I don't."

" I'm Charlie Pace, the freaking bass player for Drive Shaft." He gritted out. Alex paused looking up at him, she had heard of Drive Shaft, but she wasn't into music as much as the other girls her age. She glanced at his hand that was gripping her shirt, taking note of the ring.

" Yeah, I've heard of Drive Shaft." Alex said, shifting so she would get him to stand a little better. " Where's your Motel, Charlie?" She asked, trying not to get frustrated. Charlie looked up, gesturing with his free hand, the liquid in the bottle sloshing with the motion.

" Few blocks that way." Charlie said, Alex nodding and started to move the two of them in that direction. " Say, you now know who I am." Charlie said, glancing over at her. " What's your name?"

Alex paused, realizing that he would most likely not remember her name in the morning, anyways.

" Alex." She said, glancing up at him. Charlie looked like he was ready to pass out for the night. She sighed, picking up her pace for a few minutes, Charlie stumbling a few times.

The two of them walked in silence for a while, a Motel came into view and Alex started to head into the parking lot.

" Your room number?" She asked, she really should have stopped at the parking lot and let him make his way back. But, they way Charlie was leaning on her, she guessed that he might fall over of she let go of him.

Charlie just pointed to a door, Alex leading him to it. Charlie managed to regain his balance enough to grab his room key out of his pocket. Alex pulled the key from him after he couldn't aim the key into the lock. She pushed the door open, pausing at the doorway. The room had some clothes laying on the floor, bottles of alcohol on the tables. She looked over at Charlie, who had his head down. She sighed and shook him a bit. He let her lead him over to the bed, and he sat (fell) down onto it.

Alex helped him with his shoes before he lay down on the bed, bottle still in his hand. She removed it from his grip and set it down on the table.

She turned to leave, but he still had a grip on her shirt.

" Wait." He said, turning his head to look at her. " Just stay with me for a few minutes."

" I can't, I have to-"

" - don't leave me alone." Charlie said, " everybody always leaves."

Alex stared down at him, just standing there and letting him hold the fabric of his shirt. She waited until his eyes were closed, she gently removed his hand from her shirt and placed it across his chest. She sighed, worried about him. But, it wasn't her place to even be there, so she turned and headed out of the room, pulling her cellphone out of her pocket to call her mother. She closed the door behind her, darkness filling the room where Charlie was asleep.

Alex walked towards the parking lot, wondering if anybody would help her like she did for Charlie.

But, of course, Charlie woke up with no idea how he got back to his motel room. Like Alex wasn't even there in the first place.


End file.
